Greenock Data Centre Plans Unveiled for Former IBM Site
Greenock's former IBM site is set to be transformed into a new data centre development. Slate Island Developments Ltd has applied for Planning Permission in Principle from Inverclyde Council, aiming to bring long-vacant brownfield land back into productive use.
The proposed project at Spango Valley includes four data centre buildings providing around 80,000 sq m of floorspace. This would be part of a wider development incorporating a separately proposed Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).
The site has a proud history as a centre for technology and employment in Inverclyde, with IBM opening its Spango Valley operation in 1954. The facility closed in 2017, and the buildings were demolished in 2020.
Data centres are becoming increasingly important infrastructure supporting digital services, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence. Scotland is well placed to benefit from this rapidly growing sector, according to Slate Island Developments Ltd.